I have been reading through the Singing Hills Cycle series since 2022. They have served as bite-sized treats and motivation to return to reading usually during a lull. Given the time between reading each book, I would struggle to tell you what’s happened in previous stories at this point. I think I keep returning to the series because of Chih and Almost Brilliant. They are a lovely pair of characters to accompany from story to story.
A Mouthful of Dust is the sixth installment of the Singing Hills Cycle series. Each story is a short novella, and they can be read in any order. The main connective tissue between each story – besides the fictionalized, imperial-esque East Asian world they are set in – is the main characters Cleric Chih and their memory spirit/talking bird companion, Almost Brilliant. Cleric Chih and Almost Brilliant travel throughout the world seeking stories to catalog and return to the Singing Hills Abbey for inclusion in the vast library of stories that the abbey keeps. In this book, Chih and Almost Brilliant travel to a town that has experienced famine in its not too distant history. Since Chih is there to gather famine stories, it is not a surprise that things get a bit gruesome over the course of the book. (Spoiler: If you don’t want to read about people getting eaten, maybe skip this one.) As seems to be the cadence with the other books, Chih gets in, gets stories, and gets out none the worse for wear.
All in all – I have found A Mouthful of Dust similarly enjoyable as the rest of the series.
- Chih is their usual lovely self. Almost Brilliant is sassy and delightful.
- There are several compelling stories within the main story.
- Some spooky stuff happens – enough so that I’m lightly concerned for Chih, but pretty confident everything will be fine for the two main characters.
- Things are just generally and unremarkably queer in a way that is comforting and encouraging.
I think as long as some light cannibalism in the face of famine isn’t a dealbreaker, I’d recommend this particular book, and I’d definitely recommend the series overall.
I’m realizing in writing this review that I don’t have a strong emotional investment in the series, which is making it a bit challenging to have much to say about this book. I haven’t done a deep read of any of the series or re-read any of the novellas. In reading this book and others in the series, I’m invested enough that I’m glad to see things work out well for Chih and Almost Brilliant, but I think my continued reading is more a function of habit. About the time I wrap up reading one, the next one has been announced, I pre-order it, and the cycle continues.
Though these novellas are quick and easy reads – that doesn’t diminish their quality. They are good. The main characters as well as the characters that tell their own stories in each book are interesting. The stories that feature in each book are usually a bit spooky or a smidge off-kilter which is fun. They also feel low-stakes in that I’m not terribly worried for the safety of the main characters. The series depends on Chih, and to some degree Almost Brilliant, and usually the next book has been announced by time the previous one comes out. That tells me that Chih likely survives the enounters in the book I’m reading to continue on to another tale. It’s nice to have that kind of comforting guardrail. As much as I love being deeply invested in and devastated by what I read, I also really appreciating having things like this series that are quick, easy, and low-stakes reads.